Hey all,

I'm new to the forum and looking for some recommendations. I just started skiing this year. I'm thinking about buying skis when they go on clearence for next year (bought boots last week).

Any recommendations? I'm 6' 250 lbs 49 years old, never gonna do moguls, terrain parks etc. Just want a decent pair of skis that will be used 5 to 8 times per season for a few years.

Any help will be appreciated.

Steve

Steve - best bet for you may be to talk to some of the sale reps selling skis. You'll have to cut through the sales pitches, but there are a few knowledgeable salespeople out there. Ski Center in Uptown DC is not bad. There's also a place out in Leesburg (can't recall the name) that's pretty straight shootin'. The other option is to wait for a ski swap next fall where there are usually a few hidden deals amongst all the used skis for sale.

Good luck!

Steve, (and this is really IMHO), the advice given above (talk to the salespeople) is quite good.

Beyond that, a knowledge of what *not* to buy, and a knowledge of what attributes of various skis affect how they ski will be nice to know.

Pick up a ski magazine which has some ski reviews and read what they say. You probably do not want any kind of racing ski ( i can say that definitively). Beyond that, you really need to look at the options and see for yourself.Skis are designed for different things, and you probably won't notice the difference between any of the top of the line skis, assuming they are designed for the same thing (i can't tell, never having skiied top of the line skis )


One thing I can say is that you probably do not want a huge tail sidecut, that is, Let's say the tip is 110 cm and the waist is 70 cm. If the tail is 106 cm, it will have the tendancy to lock you into turns, which is not a bad thing the way some people ski. However, if you're beginning, you want the ability to smear your turn, so look for something with a bit less sidecut at the tail. This is just IMO, i ski skis like this at hi speeds, but i find this works really well if i have to make quick turns.


I hope this helps, although it was mostly my rambling.

Steve,
I can tell you that I have had GREAT experiences with the folks at Willis Ski Shop in Fairfax, Va. I went there to get my daughter outfitted. They spent the necessary time talking to her and trying on several pairs of boots (she wears a women's size 8) before settling on a particular pair. She already knew what skis she wanted so there was no issue there. Then, Greg included a pair of Womens Tyrolia SL110 bindings (the top model in the SL series) in her Junior package They seem interested in gaining and keeping customers vs just making a sale.

-Warren-

Warren, gpdave, and Jim,

Thanks for the info. I'm kind of between Ski Chalet in G-burg and Ski Raquet in Olney so Fairfax is kind of far. I used to have lunch twice a week in the shopping center where Ski Center is located, but don't get down there anymore.

I just bought boots from Ski Chalet and they had to blow out the toe area of the boots to fit my feet. I was impressed by that, but they seem a little disorganized in other areas like the repair shop.

I'll shop around the next few weeks and see if anybody seems more knowledgable. I went to the expo in Dulles in October and received a free subscription to Skiing Mag, but it's too late in the year for a real gear issue.

Thanks guys, off to Wisp tomorrow, hope there's some snow that hasn't melted.

Steve

One -style- of skis that both those shops will carry is the mid-fat all-mountain twintip.

Yes, you won't do moguls or a terrain park, consider that they are a budget-priced alternative to all-mountain carvers with some powder ability for those away days.

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